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last.updated 2.26.06

Generic Features

Purpose

The features that signify that a text is a specific genre are never innocent. In other words, these features serve a purpose that perpetuate the agenda of those institutions and discourse communities that adopt and adapt these genres. And, as Popham argues, these features may reveal a "site" where two or more discourse communities come into conflict. To better understand the ideologies that these features support with specific documents, we will closely examine how both academic and business documents get constructed.

Article Reviews

We will listen to article reviews by Alauna and Linda.

Lecture–White Paper

The instructor will explain the generic parameters of a short report that you will use for your Genre Analysis.

Discussion–Popham

We will address the following questions...

• What questions do you have about Popham's article?
• How do the definitions that Popham chooses to work with compare with Swales's definition of genre?
• We will discuss the the terms translation, distillation, and reflexion. Be prepared to provide examples from the text or from your own writing/communicative experiences to explain these observations.
• How does Popham's article speak to our earlier discussions about institutions?
• Examine the following application for graduation form. Apply Popham's terms (translation, distillation, and reflexion) to this form and be prepared to explain what purpose these features help to fulfill and for whom.

Discussion–WPA-L

We will address the following questions...

• What questions do you have about the WPA-L discussion?
• According to Swales's and/or Popham is the five paragraph essay a genre? explain.
• What are the expected features of the five paragraph essay? What purpose does each of these features serve?
• What are the advantages/limitations of this combination of features for the writer? the audience?
  

Activity–Genre & Templates

Before class, look through the following MS Word Templates:

• Dots Memo
• Business Report
• Modern Cover Letter

As you read these these templates, pay particular attention to the specific features that each template entails and the instructions that Microsoft provide for customizing the template.

Using the readings that we have done about genres, discourse communities, and disciplines, be prepared to talk about...

• what is the relationship between a genre and a template? what would Swales and Popham have to say about these templates?
• what disciplines are competing in these documents?
• would you be able to adopt any of these templates, as is, in any of the contexts that you write in? explain. What changes would you have to make to adapt this template to your writing contexts? why?

You will work in groups with people at your site (or by yourself, if there is no one else at your site) for twenty-five minutes, we will use the last thirty minutes of class to report your results.